Air-generator.



F. l. WEBB.

AIR GENEHATOH.

Mwucmun FILED ofc.5. mi.

WITNESSES F. I. WEBB.

All? GENERATUH.

mmm/mon man DEC 5 ma.

Patented Aug'. 45, 1918.

2 bHEETS SHEET 2 mymma WTNESSES 4 ATTORNEY FRANK 1. WEBB, 0F MCKEESPOR'I, PENNSYLVANA.

AIR-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patient.

Patented Ang.. lli, illltti.

Application tiled Beccmber 5, 1917. Bex-tal No. 205,549.

.State oi' Pennsylvania, have invented cert`ain-new and useful Improvements in Air- Generators, ot' which the following a specification.

This invention has relation to power generators; and has it'or an object to providel a machine for generating power by utilixing the upward dra't't which is created in any vertical column when the air within the colnmln is heated.

' Another object ot' the invention is to iro vide a machine en'ibodying a rotary turbine element constructed in a manner to provide the greatest amount ot working ellicicney when operating;` under the inlluenee of thc light upward air pressure in a column oi' tho character noted above.

A still further object ot the invention is to provide means in a power generator havingr the above named characteristics t'or pcr- Y mitting' the gradual application of power to the n'iachine or the machinery to be operated whereby to obviate the neceeeit-y of reducing the normal speed ot' rotation ol' the turbine element when such application of power lis made.

fiv still further object of the invention is to provide means in a power generator ofthe character above described 'for preliminarily 'initiating an upward draft, inthe column whereby the turbine element may be set in motion and its 'inertia overcome.

l'n addition to the foregoingr my invention comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement ot the parts to be hereinafter nilore'tully described and particuiiirly .set forth in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings in which similar and corresponding parte are designated by the same charactens of reference throughout the several views` in which they appear: I

Figure 1, is a view in side elevation of the elements ot'niy machine with parts broken away to show details.

Fig. 2, is a View of the machine in plan.

Fie'. 5i, is a fragmentarydetail view in Section illustrating the contigui-ation of the bladee'of my improved turbine wheels, and

Fig. 4, is a detail section taken on the line 1e-Jl ofthe preceding figure.

The object of my invention is to provide a method and machine for generating power whereby the greatest eliiciency is obtainable calculated onfa basis ol fuel emisnniption. According to recent calculations` only approximately 25 per cent. of the heat developed by the combustion of coal is converted into its mechanical equivalent ot power through the medium of a steam boiler and high eiliciency :liti-.arrI engines. Operating by means of m machine to he presently deseribeth the clheiency or output: ot `the n1achine relative to the input or miantity of t'nel consumed approaches the llo() per cent.

mark very closely.

My object is attained through Jthe utilization o'l' vthe upward dra'lt which lake# place in any vertical column when the air within the column is `elevated to a temperature slightly above the temperature oi tne snrroundine air, exteriorly o't' the column. At the present time, the knowledge ot chimneys and chimne \y drafts: is slight. and the theories given are worth but little :el they are. based upon data which ie entirely ineut' I licient. to the deteign and proportion oi' chimneys, there are no systeniat ic statements or rules that can he need. (lhminevs are usually designed from en'ipnical tornnilas or from tables compiled from proportionsv ot' chin'ineys` that have `t'uriiiehed sullicienl. draft, etc.l The draft produced in a chii'iiney is due to the dill'erence in ten'iperaturct'and consequent difference in pressure` inside the chimney and the air outside. 'lhe tastes in the chimney being lighter rise toward the top and air rushes in at. the bottom totill the spate left, by the hot gases. This air as it becomes heated grows.' lighter and rises, thus a continuous circulation is kept up.

The velocity of a current of heated air in a- .chimney'rl/UO tt. in height, in feet per siecond, is given in the table below:

-Air at hase et eliminar till titi

f; Lemaire combustion of very small quantity of fuel is perfectly obvious, and it will be presently seen that a current ci air may be utilized to convert itself into mechanical energy for useful purposes.

iVith reference to the drawings, indi- 'cates a column 'or chimney vertically .dis-

posed, and provided with a lateral opening 11 at a point elevated above its base, and

stantially radial recesses in ,which ,buckets or blades 1.6 are held by means of extensionsv 19 integrally formed upon the bucletsfor Y insertion vin 'the recesses.

As will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, each bucket is in the'nature ,of a shell curved longitudinally on an arc which is struck upon, a radius equal to two thirds the radius of the turbine wheel. Each bucket is also curved transversely whereby to define a.

semicirele at the point oi" greatest depth of the bucket as will be seen from Fig. 4. The

buckets are closely spaced' so as to permitthe inclusion of as large a number as possible in the circumference ofthe wheel without crowding them too much so as to cause the air to be banked up' within the .spaces between the blades which would materially decrease the efiiciency of the device. A gear 20 is mounted upon the' shaftl exteriorly of the casing for meshing engagement with a gear 21 slightly smaller in which is journaled in a bearing 22 formed upon a fan casing 23the purpose of lwhich will be presently noted. The gear wheel 21 carries a receptive member'24 of a. friction clutch designed for coaction with' the penetrative member 25 thereof which is rotatably and slidably mounted upon the shaft 26. The penetrative member is formed with a gear 27` and a hub extension 28 which is formed with an annular groove to` receive one end 29 of a shipper lever 30 whereby the clutch members may be engaged or disengaged at will. The gear wheel 2O is likewise provided with a central` enlargement 31, grooved to receive one end of ashipper i lever 32 whereby the gear may be moved into or out of engagement with the gear 21.A

A shaft is journaled in the fan casing to extend transversely thereacross and one member 34 of the clutch. is xedly secured thereto for coaction with a `member 35 having a pinion 36 formed thereiniwhich is inv constant meshing engagement with the gear 21. An annular groove 37 is formed in the clutch member whereby one end of the shipper lever 38 may be engaged therein to move the clutch vmember actually into or out ofdengagement with the clutch member 34 whereby to lock the pinion 36 to the shaft of the fan casing. A plurality offanblades are mounted on the shaft within the casing r whereby to direct air through a peripheral' and tangentialextension 39 of the casing which extends through the opening 12 of the column to 'a point directlybeneath the v turbine wheel. l g

A shaft 40 ismounted on the fan casing for. convenience and is disposed parall l to the shafts 26 and33 and a pinion is loosely mounted thereon for constant meshing engagement with the pinion 36 of the fan' shaft. The gear 41 carries a central env largement 42, grooved to receive one end of a shipper lever 43 whereby the gear may 'be shifted, the central enlargement 42 `being formed with a clutch face to engage a simi` lar clutch face 44 formed on the face of a gear 45 'which is also loosely mounted on theshait 40. A drum 46 isliired `to "the gear wheel 45 'for rotation therewith, and con tains a spiral spring 47, one end of which,

preferably the outer end, is connected to the dr'um, while the inner end is connected to,

the shaft 40. A ratchet wheel 47 is mounted on the side of the drum to rotate therewith and is engageable by a pawl 48, which may be pivotally mounted on an adjacent` sta-rr tionary support. A pinion ,49 is mounted on .the-shaft 40 for meshing engagement with an idler pinion 50 which in turn is mounted formeshing engagement with a 'power gear wheel 51. A pawl 52 is mounted to engage, when desired, the periphery of the power gear 51, but is vnormally held outv of such engagement by means 'of a gravity handle 53 when the machine is in operation.

In operation, the turbine wheel is rotated funder theinluence of the ppward draft in the air column whereby. its motion'is transmitted vthrough the gear 20 to the gear 21 when said gears are in meshing engagement. rThe power may be transmitted ultimately to the-last gear 5l in the train by shifting the vlever 30 so as .to engage the members 24 and 25 of the clutch operated thereby, wherebgvthe motion is transmitted from the pinion `27'formin'g a part'of the clutchto the gear 45. The spring 47'with in the drum being detensioned at that-time, the spring is wound up by rotation of the gear 45. Without rotating'the shaft 40 upon has been'rthoroughly tensioned whereupon which the drum is mounted, until the spring the power will be transmitted to the shaft '40 through the spring and rotation is continued through the gears 49 and 50 to fth gear in meshing engagement with the In testimony whereof I affix my signature pinion, dutch mechanism for connecting in presence of two witnesses.v

said fourth and fifth gears, reduction gem-b`- K BB operable1 by rotation' of said spring drum, I FRAN I' WE 5 and Eels-usable pawis "w engage the reductlon Viltnesses:

gem.u and the spring drum to prevent rear- I CMAS. J. KoUGI-IAN,

Ward notation: thereof. i CLARA MOHLMAN. 

